Life's a Stitch

(March 4, 2026)

We continued our crater game drive.

Before our lunch break we spotted an elephant:

On the smaller end of the scale, a Rosy-throated Longclaw: 

And we did it! Steve spotted rhinos in the distance, but they are so large there was no mistaking them. Yes, those are birds on his back. The Red-billed Oxpeckers remove ticks and parasites from the rhino’s body and also serves as a warning system for poachers and predators that attack their calves.

There are two types of rhinoceros, Black and White. The difference has nothing to do with colour. White rhinos are larger, social grazers with wide, square lips. Black rhinos are smaller, solitary browsers with pointed, hooked lips used to eat branches and leaves.

These are the Black Rhinos of the big five, so now everyone in our group has completed all five. 

The rest of the afternoon seemed dedicated to birds.

A Grey Crowned Crane (the National Bird of Uganda)

The Spar-winged Goose

At our picnic spot on the lake there were thieving birds, Pelicans and Guinea Fowl.

It was a peaceful spot on the hippo area of the lake. 

The were also plenty of Weaver birds.

The weather was getting thicker and after a full day we headed up through the rain forest side of the crater,

back to the lookout with the geocache, eventually arriving at the Country Lodge in Keratu, where we had stayed three days ago. 

It was nice to get back to a basket of clean laundry at a reasonable price, $1US per item. 

Sadly tomorrow is the last game drive of the trip at the same time I’m so grateful that we have already been able to experience far more than we expected.